Eco Child’s Play

Breakfast time is usually a big deal at our house. I try to make sure the little guy gets a healthy nutritious meal to start the day.  I also try to stay away from cereals due to their high sugar content but occassionally a bowl of cereal makes it’s way onto the table.

Since having a child I’ve made breakfast important. I mostly make meals from scratch and make the best attempt to stay away from anything packaged. The chickens have been such a blessing. We’re able to cook eggs most days any which way you can think of and have them for breakfast or “breakie” (what we call it here).

Pancakes are the biggest hit for breakie…just ask my son, he’ll tell you he wants *pancakes*! Before I knew about this recipe I’m going to share; I’d always thought I was making pancakes from scratch.

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My kids love to cook… Mama doesn’t always like the mess and I often think, “I can do this so much faster by myself“.  That said, I’m trying to get better about bringing the kids into the kitchen with me.  A recent fun food project we created were Natural Soda (pop) cupcakes.

The resulting treats are very springy in texture, similar to a sponge cake with a light flavor from the soda choice.  We use chicken eggs but go sans dairy and gluten due to Celiac and allergies.

Warning: these are not low in sugar or fat, so bake at your discretion.   Soda Cupcakes:

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I first heard of Renee Dufault through Mother Jones print magazine back in June. In their “Children of the Corn” article, they named her as the researcher who first uncovered mercury in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

Even before this news came out, you may have already cut the HFCS from your family’s diet. But manufacturers are sneaky. There is the corn sweetener in things you wouldn’t even suspect: ketchup, yogurt, salad dressing. Actually, condiments are the biggest culprits when it comes to the mercury/high fructose corn syrup link.

So what did this brilliant researcher receive for her tireless work? Surely, a commendation, right? Nope. Renee Dufault is currently suffering through early retirement in Hawaii.

She was kind enough to discuss her research with me and the implications of mercury in high fructose corn syrup.

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Studies are revealing that children who are fed diets of bland, tasteless food are more likely to have issues with weight.  Unlike the jarred foods, homemade baby food is full of delicious fresh, wholesome flavor and adding herbs and spices is a great way to enhance this flavor.

Here are a few tips on how your baby’s food can go from simple to a culinary treat:
• Introduce herbs and spices at 8-10 months. Keep it simple for the first few months.
• Add herbs and spice in the cooking step.  It is best for flavors to blend in cooking and become more subtle. Do not sprinkle herbs and spices on the food prior to serving.  The flavor will be too strong.
• A little goes along way. Use herbs and spices sparingly.  As a general rule, add 1/8 teaspoon of spice per 16-24 ounces of fruits or vegetables.

• Add herbs and spices only to foods that you have previously fed to your baby. Remember the “One at a Time” rule to ensure that any food allergies are detected early.
• Avoid sugar and salt.  There are healthier and more flavorful choices to add to your baby’s foods.
Baby-friendly herbs and spices:
• Cinnamon
• Dill
• Ginger
• Mint
• Nutmeg
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Garlic
• Lemon or orange zest
• Vanilla

About the author: Cheryl Tallman is the co-founder of Fresh Baby, creators of the award-winning So Easy Baby Food Kit. Visit Cheryl online at www.FreshBaby.com for more delicious tips.

It may be the end of World Breastfeeding Week, but the entire month of August is dedicated to breastmilk. Just in time, 200 hospitals of the 7,569 nationwide have ditched the formula freebies in favor of Healthy Baby Bounty Bags. And there’s not a drop of imitation breastmilk in them.

Because you know what? Getting a formula sample after you’ve given birth is like being given a Big Mac after your annual physical. Sure, it’s “food“, but it’s not the same, not as healthy.

These goodie bags contain samples from companies that make products that actually support breastfeeding. Sure, they’re companies giving breast swag to get noticed, but this is for good reason; to encourage breastfeeding while ditching the formula.

Best part about the new mom swag? The bags are green. Not only are they reusable as a breastmilk cooler, they’re made of recycled materials. Righteous. So what kind of goodies can these mamas expect? Read the rest of this entry »

Children today are dangerously lacking in many vital vitamins and minerals.  Why?  Perhaps because we spend so much time indoors playing video games and watching television.  Or maybe its because we are a microwave nation… rushing to grab a fast meal on the go at the sacrifice of our health.  Maybe its the over abundance and cheap accessibility of processed foods filling nearly every American pantry.

The deficiency of necessary vitamins and minerals coupled with the addition of chemical colorings, preservatives and flavorings directly relate to the increase in disease and behavioral issues. As caring parents, we all want the best for our children and that means getting these vital nutrients back into our children’s body.  Here’s some easy tricks!  Stay with us after the jump for a delicious recipe that is full of nutrition and the kids will eat it! Read the rest of this entry »

Gardening with your children provides valuable lessons, family togetherness time and plenty of fresh veggies to dress your table.

I’m a big slacker this year.  My big, fat, Eco-Confession?  I didn’t plant a garden this year.  This means we have been relying on farmers markets and u-pick to survive!  Ugh.

But, wait… I have a pretty good excuse.  We moved this Spring.  Our Spring was consumed with painting, cleaning, packing and unpacking.  It was pretty crazy around here.  Then my beloved Mama passed away and I didn’t want to do much of anything for a good two months.  Now, I’m up and running… but my yard is far from it!  Since this is a new to us home, there was already a bunch of yard work to do.  Needless to say, we haven’t gotten around to much of it, which includes clearing the garden beds and replanting.

So, that’s the plan this weekend.  Get those beds cleared and start our transplants inside the house.   Good thing I have plenty of kids. Read the rest of this entry »

Sending your food allergic child off to school can be scary beyond belief.  What will happen to little Johnny when we aren’t there to monitor every his food intake?  I feel like we are becoming skilled at dealing with allergies in all kinds of social situations, here’s some tried and true tips from our allergic household to yours.

What we have to avoid: Gluten (wheat, barley, rye, oats and all derivitives), dairy, food additives (colors, flavors, preservatives) and chemicals.

How we do it: Read the rest of this entry »

It’s berry picking season.  There is nothing better than strolling to the wild vines at the back of our property and plucking fresh, warm, untainted berries from their spiky perch.  Except maybe, the lemonade one can make with those berries.  It will never cease to amaze me how excited the kiddos get about going out to pluck a handful of fresh berries or climb the tree after cherries.  I don’t even mind the purple and red stained hands.

The photo is our fresh pitcher of berry lemonade made just moments ago and already teetering on the edge of emptiness again.  This batch was made with blackberries and raspberries which had gotten a little soft over the last couple days. Read the rest of this entry »

I was enlightened by Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle to discover how corn has made it’s way into almost everything in the American diet and dominates American agriculture. Considering this crop is a heavy feeder requiring lots of water and fertilizer, and it is responsible for the fall of ancient civilizations, it seems ludicrous that the American diet would be so dependent upon corn.  The dominance of corn is especially apparent when you consider its prevalence in American fast food. Read the rest of this entry »